Top 8 foods rich in magnesium to support a healthy body and brain

Magnesium is an important mineral for many bodily functions, so including plenty of foods rich in it in our diets is important to make sure we’re getting adequate amounts.

A person needs a daily intake of regarding 400-420 mg for men and 310-320 mg for women, with pregnant women needing slightly higher levels, Live Science reported.

Many also get enough magnesium through diets by eating magnesium-rich foods, but some health conditions can cause malabsorption of nutrients, which means that magnesium supplements may be necessary for some.

Experts advise making sure to include the following foods rich in magnesium in your diet:

1. Nuts

Nuts are a great source of magnesium, as most nuts are high in the mineral. Nuts, whether eaten raw or in the form of nut butter, contain magnesium as follows:
• Cashews: 292 mg per 100 g
Almond Butter: 270 mg per 100 g
• Pistachios: 121 mg per 100 grams

Nuts (iStock)

2. Seeds

Similar to nuts, seeds are great snacks, as they are high in plant protein, vitamins, and minerals to support healthy bodily functions.

Experts recommend trying roasting the seeds for a snack rather than buying roasted and salted seeds from the supermarket to avoid consuming more than the recommended amount of sodium.

It can also be sprinkled over salads, oatmeal, or even tried to make chia pudding. The following seeds contain good amounts of magnesium as follows:
• Sesame seeds: 351 mg per 100 grams
• Chia seeds: 335 mg per 100 g
• Sunflower seeds: 129 mg per 100 grams

Sesame seeds

3. Leafy vegetables

Leafy greens are a great component of many meals. Dark leafy green vegetables contain more magnesium than light green vegetables such as lettuce, as follows:
• Spinach: 79 mg per 100 g
• Beet leaves: 70 mg per 100 g
• Kale: 47 mg per 100 g

Spinach (iStock)

4. Legumes

Legumes are known primarily as a great source of vegetable protein and then magnesium and other vitamins and minerals. Legumes provide magnesium to the body according to the following amounts:
• Black beans: 180 mg per 100 g
• Red kidney beans: 164 mg per 100 grams
• Edamame: 65 mg per 100 g

Beans (iStock)

5. Cereal

The USDA Dietary Guidelines for 2020-2025 recommends starchy carbohydrates such as whole-grain pasta, rice or bread in diets.

Experts also advise replacing white toast with some whole-grain toast with nut butter for a magnesium-rich breakfast:
• Whole grain bread: 76.6 mg per 100 g
• Rye bread: 40 mg per 100 g
• Brown rice: 39 mg per 100 g

6. Oily fish

Oily fish is a great source of polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as being rich in vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium. Nutrition experts stress the importance of eating at least two servings of oily fish per week:
• Salmon: 95 mg per 100 g
• Herring: 46 mg per 100 g
Sardines: 39 mg per 100 g

salmon

7. Dark Chocolate

The darker the chocolate, the richer it is in magnesium. The cocoa bean is somewhat of a misnomer because it is not a bean or legume, but is actually the seed of the Theobroma cacao tree.
• 45-50% cocoa solids: 146 mg per 100 g
• 60-69% cocoa solids: 176 mg per 100 g
• 70-85% cocoa solids: 228 mg per 100 g

dark chocolate

8. Avocado

An avocado contains 29 mg of magnesium per 100 g, with an average weight of regarding 170 g. Avocados are full of the good monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which are also great for brain function.

Avocado (Shutterstock)

Additional considerations

Some people should be more careful to avoid low levels of magnesium in the body, says Kristi Dean, a dietitian, and it may be that eating magnesium-rich foods may not be enough.

“People with Crohn’s disease or celiac disease, type 2 diabetes patients, and the elderly are most at risk of magnesium deficiency,” she adds.

Dean points out that magnesium toxicity poses a risk, but that the danger does not lie in dietary sources, as “Magnesium naturally present in food is not harmful and should not be restricted because our body has a way of eliminating any excess through the kidneys. But supplementation can be harmful if It was taken in the wrong dose.”